Anne McGuire: Yesterday, the Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Regulations 2005 (SI 2966) were laid before Parliament. These regulations are made under powers in section 49D of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and take forward the Government's commitments, as set out in "Delivering Equality for Disabled People" (Cm 6255) to place prescribed public authorities under specific equality duties.
	In my written ministerial statement on 21 July, Official Report, Column169ws, I listed certain additional public bodies which, following the consultation, the Government intended to place under the duties. Further to those bodies, the Adult Learning Inspectorate, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, the National College for School Leadership, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Teacher Training Agency will also be subject to the duties, as set out in the regulations.
	In "Delivering Equality for Disabled People" the Government said they recognised the special position of schools, and the need to ensure that equality duties applied to schools were effective and proportionate. The regulations ensure that schools are required to publish equality schemes setting out how they will be carrying out their responsibilities to eliminate discrimination, combat harassment and promote greater equality for disabled people. However, in order to enable schools to build their new planning and reporting duties into their existing responsibilities, the regulations clarify that the scheme may form part of another document, and the start date for the specific duties as it will apply to primary schools in England, and to all schools in Wales, will be 2007.
	The Government have long recognised the importance of clear and accessible statutory guidance in enabling the proper implementation of the public sector duties. Alongside the regulations, we have also laid before Parliament a statutory code of practice prepared by the Disability Rights Commission giving practical guidance to bodies exercising functions in England and Wales, and bodies exercising reserved functions in Scotland. Subject to Parliament's approval, the regulations and the Code will come into force in December this year, giving public bodies a full year to implement their responsibilities before the duties begin to come into force in December 2006.